ROSEAU COUNTY, MINN. — Somewhere in Roseau County, there is an old photograph sitting in a box with names written on the back. A family story everyone has heard a hundred times. The pictures show an old farm, a business that no longer exists, a school class, a wedding, a threshing crew, or a family gathered around the kitchen table.

Right now, someone still knows the story behind those photographs.

But will someone know it 50 years from now?

As the Roseau County Historical Society prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2027, we are asking people throughout the county to help us preserve those stories through a new project called Foundations for the Future.

History isn’t only about what happened a hundred years ago. It is the story of our families, where they came from, what they did, how they lived, and where they are today. Unless those stories are written down and those photographs are identified, they can easily be lost.

That’s where we need your help.

Dig out the family albums. Look through that box of old photographs. Write down the story your grandparents told you. Tell us about the farm your family grew up on, the business they operated, the community they called home, or what brought your family to Roseau County.

It doesn’t have to be a complete family genealogy. It doesn’t have to be professionally written. Just tell the story as you know it.

The museum has family files collected over generations, and we want to add to them. Some families are well represented. Others have very little information, and many family histories haven’t been updated in decades. We want to know what happened next. Where did the children and grandchildren go? Who stayed? What did the family become?

We are also looking for historic photographs that show everyday life throughout Roseau County—people, farms, schools, businesses, organizations, celebrations, work, and community life. Photos submitted by November 1, 2026, may also be considered for the Historical Society’s 2027 Centennial Calendar.

While we look back, we also want to capture life right now.

As another part of Foundations for the Future, we are putting together a Roseau County time capsule. We are asking people to contribute a small item that says something about what it is like to live, work, go to school, or raise a family here today.

The time capsule will be sealed in 2027 as part of the Historical Society’s centennial year and locked away for 25 years before it is opened again.

Think about what we wish someone had saved for us 100 years ago. Then think about what someone opening this capsule 25 years from now might want to know about life in Roseau County today.

That is what Foundations for the Future is about.

You don’t need an important artifact or a famous family. Your family, your photographs, your memories, and the ordinary pieces of life today are all part of Roseau County history.

Bring them to us. Help us put names to the faces, stories to the photographs, and memories on paper so they are not lost.

There is plenty happening at the Roseau County Historical Society in September.

On Saturday, September 19, join us at Gene’s Bar & Grill for the Noah Sonie Dinner & Show Fundraiser, an evening of dinner, entertainment, and fun while supporting the museum.

From September 21–25, Minnesota musician and songwriter Charlie Maguire will be working with local students as part of our Foundations for the Future programming. The week will wrap up with a public performance on Friday, September 25 at 6:00 p.m., a free event

For more information about Foundations for the Future, upcoming programs, or how to share your family history, photographs, or time capsule item, contact the Roseau County Historical Society & Museum at 218-463-1918 or rchsroseau@gmail.com.